What is critical theory? Can we use it to analyze the superhero & sci-fi shows we love? Gabriel Cruz is an assistant professor of media studies at North Carolina Central University. He has a PhD in Media and Communication Studies from Bowling Green State University. His research areas include critical race, class, and gender analysis of superhero narratives as well as narrative analysis of white nationalist propaganda. In addition to creating social media content, Gabriel also hosts a podcas...
Dec 20, 2022•1 hr 37 min
With the new Willow series coming out we go back to the original, looking at one of the classic fantasy movies of the 80's- Willow! Mark Garkusha & Ashley Coffin, along with first time/long time Katy O'Leary Brennan join me to talk about epic storytelling, Val Kilmer in a pink skirt, and why this movie was an important part of our childhoods. Ashley Coffin claims many titles, including Stranded Panda Supreme Leader, MCU Co-Host, Empress of all Things Thirst, F*ck Around & Find Out Enforc...
Dec 13, 2022•55 min
Matthew and Paul discuss the Rings of Power and possibly write a better description at some point.
Dec 06, 2022•1 hr 28 min
Ashley and Matthew discuss Dream, Desire and the rest of the Endless, Ashley's love for the sad goth boys, and Matthew's realization that much as they want to the brooding pretty boy, they will always be the bird who keeps the brooder company.
Nov 30, 2022•1 hr
Jessica Plummer joins me to talk Black Adam! We talk about the ethical questions and international political issues the movie comments on, and whether any of it was intentional! Here are the links Jessica mentioned during our episode Hawkman: https://bookriot.com/hawkman/ Black Adam's first appearance: https://bookriot.com/first-appearance-flashback-black-adam/ Adrianna/Isis's history: https://bookriot.com/who-is-isis/...
Nov 22, 2022•59 min
Jessica Plummer and Paul Hoppe join me to mark the passing of a superhero acting legend by talking about what made Kevin Conroy's portrayal of Batman so iconic, and some of our favorite moments of his work. Jess mentioned a number of articles worth checking out, and here are the links. Kevin Conroy Obituary: https://bookriot.com/kevin-conroy-iconic-voice-of-batman-has-died/ Hawkman: https://bookriot.com/hawkman/ Black Adam's first appearance: https://bookriot.com/first-appearance-flashback-black...
Nov 15, 2022•37 min
Ashley Coffin joins me to talk all things House of the Dragon.
Nov 08, 2022•1 hr 1 min
Its a bird! Its a plan! Its... an animated movie about superpowered animals that raises a lot more questions, and a lot more laughs, than you might think. Matthew and Paul discuss DC Superpets, with a side of Appa's Lost Days.
Nov 01, 2022•1 hr 1 min
Jess Plummer joins us to talk season 1 of She-Hulk!
Oct 25, 2022•56 min
Will & Steve of the Hype is my Superpower Podcast join Paul and myself to talk about Ms. Marvel, Moonknight, and the way they are portrayed in comics vs on screen. You can hear more of Will and Steve on their podcast, Hype is My Superpower - https://hypeismysuperpower.podbean.com/
Oct 18, 2022•1 hr 8 min
Paul & I's conversation on the latest season of Cobra Kai can be summed up as follows: Matthew: ok, this season really jumped the shark Paul: Look at all this cool stuff on the other side of the shark! Plus a stinger about training montages.
Oct 04, 2022•1 hr 40 min
We continue our series on the ethics of AI by diving into Wargames, game theory, machine learning and the ethics of treating warfare as a game.
Sep 27, 2022•1 hr 45 min
Rounders has long been one of Paul and I's favorite movie, so its fitting we're covering it for our 200th episode! We talk about poker itself, why this movie represents it so well, and all the ethical questions poker and the movie bring up. Never seen the movie, don't know anything about poker? No worries, we explain it all as we go.
Sep 20, 2022•1 hr 55 min
Sometimes our podcast episodes are born out of careful planning and deliberation- and sometimes the stinger of one episode shift into a whole new conversation and we're recording a new episode (while continuously saying we just want to make one more point, then we'll stop.) At the end of a different episode we got into a discussion of how we can talk about topics that have become the targets of attacks and hate, and it turned into a new episode all of its own. We're a bit punchy, but hopefully t...
Sep 13, 2022•49 min
Space: The Final Frontier. The Frontier has been an essential part of America's mythology from the beginning. It has led to exploration, adventure- and all the problems wrapped up in seeing 'undiscovered country' as a land where no white man has been. Prof Matthew Wilhelm Kapell joins Paul and myself to talk about the idea of the frontier, and the way Star Trek has engaged with it over so many decades. (Note: We had some problems with the sound quality on this episode, for which I apologize. We'...
Sep 06, 2022•1 hr 22 min
Comic book nerd extraordinaire Jessica Plummer joins us to talk about ethical questions in She-Hulk, episodes 1 and 2. Does Abomination have a case? What's the importance of Jennifer having such a different relationship to being a Hulk than Bruce has? We dive into those questions and talk about She-Hulks origins in the business of comic books and how that effects her stories today. Jessica Plummer lives in New York and loves Superman very very much. You can listen to just how much on her Superma...
Aug 30, 2022•1 hr 1 min
What would Uncle Ben think of She-Hulk not wanting to be a hero? Does she prove him wrong? Matthew Carroll on the MCUCast talked about an episode of this podcast where we discussed the question of great power and great responsibility and asked I repost it, so here it is, with a short discussion at the top of how She-Hulk continues this discussion. Enjoy, and stay tuned for our full episodes on She-Hulk coming next Tuesday!
Aug 25, 2022•1 hr 44 min
Where is the line between Canon and Continuity? Who defines canon, and what role does headcanon play? Paul and I dive into these questions.
Aug 16, 2022•1 hr 37 min
PopCultureRabbi joins me to discuss the theology of Thor: Love & Thunder. What makes Gorr so relatable? Can a God who allows suffering be called good? What is theodicy, and how does this movie approach that question? No religion or theological background necessary to enjoy our discussion! My guest is Pop Culture Rabbi, who talks about Marvel, Star Wars, comics and pop culture on TikTok. You can also find him at nerdinitiative.com where he contributes articles, and pop culture rabbi on Twitte...
Aug 09, 2022•1 hr 21 min
Can we find ethical questions to discuss in HarleyQuinn Season 3? Hells yes! Emily Cissel joins us, and Abby Neiman makes her first podcast appearance!
Aug 02, 2022•52 min
Does a single champion define a martial arts style? Do the high school, we have to fight it out, antics of Cobra Kai make more or less sense among adults? And can Paul and Matthew really find a way to connect Ip Man 4 and Cobra Kai 4? We love feedback! To ask questions or let us know what you think, contact us at Email: Matthew@TheEthicalPanda.com Twitter: https://EthicalPanda77 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheEthicalPanda Or go to our website www.theethicalpanda.com for more information, ...
Jul 26, 2022•1 hr 17 min
Stranded Panda regulars Emily Cissel and Zuhair Ali join me to talk Ms. Marvel & Representation. Zuhair Ali is one of the hosts of the Animation Deliberation Podcast, podcast dedicated to discussing and celebrating the best action focused animated series, cartoons and films. https://www.spreaker.com/show/animation-deliberation Emily Cissell is a middle school social studies teacher also known as a real life superhero. She has a borderline obsession with Captain Marvel, Loki, and her dog Hemi...
Jul 21, 2022•1 hr 22 min
Andy Nelson, of the Next Reel and Marvel Movie Minute joins me to discuss Thor: Love & Thunder. We get into the questions the movie raised, the ones we wish it explored further and why one of us really enjoyed it, and the other- not so much. We love feedback! To ask questions or let us know what you think, contact us at Email: Matthew@TheEthicalPanda.com Twitter: https://EthicalPanda77 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheEthicalPanda Or go to our website www.theethicalpanda.com for more in...
Jul 19, 2022•1 hr 4 min
Matthew takes a rare day off as Ashley, Paul, and Mark talk about the final two episodes of the penultimate season of Stranger Things. (Season 4, episodes 8 and 9.) Mark Garkusha is a podcaster and voice actor, including on Cast Die Podcast "if you need more D&D in your life." @MarkDmitri on all the social media things. Ashley Coffin has her own brand-new podcast, Bill & Ashley's Terror Theater (@BATTpod on Twitter and such), co-hosts the Marvel Cinematic Universe Podcast, and so many ot...
Jul 12, 2022•1 hr 15 min
What will it look like to bring the X-men into the MCU? How does the mutant framework change in a world already used to superpowers? Do we need to keep the Prof X/Magneto conflict, or are their other paradigms to explore? X-men X-pert Miles Stokes joins Paul and myself to dive into it! Miles Stokes is one half of Jay & Miles X-Plain the X-Men, a weekly podcast that endeavors to walk listeners through the ins, outs, and retcons of comics' greatest superhero soap opera. The show can be found o...
Jul 05, 2022•1 hr 16 min
D&D podcaster and expert Mark Garkusha joins Ashley and myself to talk Strange Things Season 4 (1st half?) Mark Garkusha is an actor, voice artist, writer, and lifelong nerd. You can find him on instagram and twitter as @markdmitri and his D&D/TTRPG cast as @castdiepodcast We love feedback! To ask questions or let us know what you think, contact us at Email: Matthew@TheEthicalPanda.com Twitter: https://EthicalPanda77 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheEthicalPanda Or go to our website...
Jun 30, 2022•1 hr 25 min
Paul and I talk about the value placed on human life at different ages, in our own society and that of the stories we love. Is the death of a child more tragic than the death of an adult? Does a story need to show us a child in danger to establish emotional stakes? And why do so many heroes have dead parents? We love feedback! To ask questions or let us know what you think, contact us at Email: Matthew@TheEthicalPanda.com Twitter: https://EthicalPanda77 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheEthi...
Jun 17, 2022•1 hr 13 min
We're talking about The Boys, season 3, Episode 1, with Matthew Carroll and Ashley Coffin. Check out the PandaVision podcast for our coverage of every episode of Season 3 of The Boys. We love feedback! To ask questions or let us know what you think, contact us at Email: Matthew@TheEthicalPanda.com Twitter: https://EthicalPanda77 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheEthicalPanda Or go to our website www.theethicalpanda.com for more information, contact info and to find all of our podcasts! Want ...
Jun 07, 2022•37 min
Lets talk celebrities- or more specifically, why is everyone else talking about celebrities. Is there a trial of some kind going on, and should it impact how we feel about Aquaman 2? Why does the name Kathleen Kennedy evoke such strong feelings in certain parts of the Star Wars fandom,. and what role does misogyny, racism, and other issues play in the narratives that get formed around celebrities and fandom? Paul joins me to talk about these questions, along with what its like to listen to our e...
May 31, 2022•1 hr 30 min
Mental health played a big part in Moon Knight, and we brought in an expert to talk about it. Saron Bryan, LCSW, returns to the show and joins Paul, Will, and myself, to talk about dissociative identity disorder (DID), how the show portrays it, and what better understanding it can tell us about Marc, Stephen, and the show. Saron Bryan is a therapist in Athens, Georgia who primarily serves queer, polyamorous, and kinky clients. She also enjoys taking way too long to finish reading the Wheel of Ti...
May 17, 2022•1 hr 4 min
